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A psychodynamic interpretation of staff accounts of working with people who have learning disabilities and complex needs
- Authors:
- STOREY Judith, COLLIS Mary-Ann, CLEGG Jennifer
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40(3), September 2012, pp.229-235.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Staff working with patients who have learning disabilities and complex mental health needs may experience negative emotions towards the patients. The aim of this study was to examine whether a psychoanalytical analysis can help in the understanding of staff accounts of their work. Interviews were conducted with 8 staff (6 qualified nurses and 2 nursing assistants) working with people who have a learning disability and complex mental health needs. The interviews aimed to elicit the participant’s conscious and unconscious reactions to their work. The findings were analysed using the free association narrative interview approach. The participants reported that organisational factors such as not having enough permanent staff and having to manage a complex patient mix impacted upon their work. Participants’ unconscious communications were interpreted as evidence that they were experiencing projected anxiety from their patients. Participants did not appear to be given opportunities in work to reflect upon their emotions and often coped by repressing painful experiences or displacing these onto the organisation. The article concludes that staff would benefit from exploring their conscious and unconscious reactions to their patients.